Tseyi Agharaye
It’s been terrible season for the European champions Real Madrid, knocked out of the champions league, 12 point behind la liga leaders Barcelona, embarrassingly knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Spanish rival Barcelona, two coaches sacked within a season, a squad not performing to full potential and many more issues at the Bernabeu.
The season can’t end soon enough for the Madrid faithful. But despite all the negatives, Madrid president Florentino Perez brought good news to the bernabeu with the sacking of Santiago Solari and bringing back club legend Zinedine Zidane as Manager of the Galaticos.
Zidane, who was unveiled to the public for the second time as Madrid coach expressed his delight, optimism and admitted he had received various offers to return to football since leaving Real Madrid last summer, but said the offer to ‘come home’ was too good to turn down.
The 46-year-old also vowed to do things better – in the league at least – than he did before.
Speaking in his first press conference since signing a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2022 he said: ‘When I went it was the right time to leave. I have had various offers since then but I wanted to stay here in Madrid. My first reaction when the president called me was to come back. Here I am.’
Zinedine Zidane admitted he had received various offers to return to football since leaving Real Madrid last summer, but said the offer to ‘come home’ was too good to turn down.
Speaking in his first press conference since signing a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2022, he said: ‘When I went it was the right time to leave. I have had various offers since then but I wanted to stay here in Madrid. My first reaction when the president called me was to come back. Here I am.’
Privately Zidane was unhappy about plans to sell Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.
Asked about the Juventus striker he said: ‘Everyone knows what Cristiano is. He is one of the greatest and part of the history of this club but we have 11 games left to focus on.’
Asked if he felt returning was a risk he tapped his chest and said: ‘I’m not thinking about that. My heart says that I have rested and the president calls me and I wanted to come and that’s it. The desire I have is what has brought me here.’
He will work with the same staff as last season with Antonio Pintus – already at the club as fitness coach – staying put to work with him.
He batted away questions over who would be staying and would be going at the end of the season but when asked about the various problems he will inherit with Gareth Bale, Isco and Marcelo all having had their falling-outs with team-mates and supporters this season.
He said: ‘The players here have won so much. I’m not going to get involved in what has happened between them this season.
‘I’ve seen all the games. The players are the first to know that it has been a tough year. You can’t always win sometimes you have to lose to get back to where you were before.’
He admitted that not everyone had had kind words for him since he walked away from the club last year. He said: ‘Some people said ‘gracias’ but also some bad things too.’
He added: ‘I wouldn’t be here if I thought something negative could happen or there was a risk. I’m a positive person and I’ve managed to rest well these last few months.
‘The Real Madrid president called me and I wanted to return. Maybe four months ago it wouldn’t have worked out, I wouldn’t have come, who knows?
‘But this is the right timing and a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward to this challenge.’
The return of Zidane is seen as a major coup for Real Madrid president Florentino Perez who presented the French coach to reporters at the Bernabeu.
He said: ‘We are going through a complex and difficult time. We have not had the desired results this season.
‘I want to recognise the professionalism of Santiago Solari in difficult times and we want him to stay at this club if that is what he desires, but we want to start now working towards a new golden era.
‘Dear Zizou, we want everyone to know that the best coach in the world is coming back to Real Madrid.’
Perez was in jocular mood after managing to persuade Zidane to as he put it ‘come home’. Asked about signing Kylian Mbappe he joked: ‘Zidane is French he can maybe do something’.
And asked if he preferred Mbappe or Neymar he said: ‘I would say both’.
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